Miesha Tate is a tough fighter. That can’t be disputed.
But she’s also dumb.
And I’m not picking specifically on Tate, though I know it may sound that way. She’s just the latest in a long line of fighters who decided that it was better to look tough during the course of a fight rather than accept fate and tap out when caught in what was obviously a fight-ending submission.
This kind of thing drives me into a rage. It was one thing when the Gracies did it in the early days of the sport because, well, they’re the Gracies and not tapping out was their thing. And besides, they were fighting in Japan, where showing your toughness endeared you to the PRIDE fighting crowds even more than winning a fight.
But there’s no reason for it in 2012. If Ronda Rousey gets you in an armbar, and you know without a shadow of a doubt that you’re not getting out—much like Tate did when Rousey got the armbar on her for a second time during Saturday’s Strikeforce main event—please just tap out. Save us the trouble of seeing your arm bend in directions it’s not supposed to.
Luckily for Tate (and the viewers at home), her arms are made of rubber. But that’s not the point.
The point here is that there’s no shame in submitting to a superior opponent. The fans won’t think any less of you because they’ve been watching this sport long enough to understand that submissions are part of the game.
When you’re caught, the fight is over. It’s better to give up and live to fight another day rather than risk an injury that will put you on the shelf for months on end. It’s disrespectful to your opponent and it’s disrespectful to your employer who should be able to rely on booking you for a new fight every three or four months.
Don’t try to prove your resilience. We already know you’re tough. After all, you step in the cage to trade punches with another human for a living. You don’t need to prove anything else.
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